Q109891

Also known as (138) Tolosa, Tolosa

main-belt asteroid

Picture of the Day · NASA

Jupiter and Venus from Earth

2026-06-07

It was visible around the world. The sunset conjunction of Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) in 2012 was visible almost no matter where you lived on Earth. Anyone on our planet with a clear western horizon at sunset could see them. That year, a creative photographer traveled away from the town lights of Szubin, Poland to photograph a near closest approach of the two planets. The bright planets were then separated by only three degrees and his daughter struck a humorous pose. A faint red sunset still glowed in the background. Jupiter and Venus are together again this week after sunset, passing within a degree of each other about two days from today.

Key facts

Discovered by: Henri Joseph Perrotin
Discovery date: 19 May 1874
Pronunciation: / t oʊ ˈ l oʊ s ə /
Named after: Toulouse (Tolōsa)
Alternative designations: A874 KA; 1909 SB
Minor planet category: Main belt

~1 min read

Article

138 Tolosa is a brightly coloured, stony background asteroid from the inner region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by French astronomer Henri Joseph Perrotin on 19 May 1874, and named by the Latin and Occitan name ([tɔˈloːsa] and [tuˈluzɔ]) of the French city of Toulouse.

This object is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.45 AU with an eccentricity of 0.16 and an orbital period of 3.83 years. Its orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 3.2° relative to the plane of the ecliptic. Measurements of its diameter range from 46 to 52 km. It is spinning with a rotation period of 10.1 hours.